World · East Asia & Pacific · 19 hrs ago
Tokyo court dismisses Maezawa's suit over scam ads on Meta platforms
The Tokyo District Court dismissed entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa’s suit against Meta on Nov.
10.
Maezawa said scam ads using his name and photo appeared on Instagram and Facebook from at least June 2023 to solicit investments.
He asked Meta to remove the ads in August 2023, then sued in May 2024, saying the ads violated his portrait and publicity rights.
He sought just 1 yen in damages, saying his aim was to clarify social media companies’ responsibility for fake ads.
Meta argued that people who posted the ads were chiefly responsible and that it could not identify every scam ad with the tools available at the time.
The court awarded no compensation, and the ruling is believed to be the first judicial decision on whether celebrity-impersonation ads infringe on a person’s rights.
The case comes amid large losses from online investment scams in Japan, but the court’s decision does not provide a broader solution to them.
The Tokyo District Court dismissed Yusaku Maezawa’s lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its Japanese subsidiary on Nov. 10.
Maezawa sought the removal of scam advertisements impersonating him on Instagram and other platforms.
He claimed the ads violated his portrait rights and right of publicity.
The court did not award compensation, although Maezawa had limited his damages claim to 1 yen.
The Japan Times described the ruling as believed to be the first judicial decision on whether fake ads impersonating celebrities infringe on their rights.
- Who
- Entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa sued Meta Platforms and its Japanese subsidiary.
- What
- The Tokyo District Court dismissed his lawsuit over scam advertisements impersonating him.
- When
- The ruling was issued on Nov. 10; the articles were published on Nov. 11, 2026.
- Where
- Tokyo, Japan.
- Why
- Maezawa sought removal of the ads, arguing they violated his portrait rights and right of publicity. The court’s reason for dismissing the suit is not stated.
Yusaku Maezawa
Meta
Responsibility for ads
Yusaku Maezawa
Maezawa argued social media operators should prevent celebrities from being used without consent in scam ads.
Meta
Meta said unidentified posters played a major role and that it had no duty to find and remove the ads.
Detecting the ads
Yusaku Maezawa
Maezawa sought removal of ads using his name, photograph and personal details.
Meta
Meta said it was impossible to fully identify such ads using image-recognition technology and other available means at the time.
According to the complaint, fraudulent ads using Maezawa’s personal details had begun appearing on Instagram and Facebook by at least this month.
Maezawa’s side asked Meta to remove the ads and take other measures.
Maezawa filed suit, arguing the scam ads had continued to appear.
The Tokyo District Court dismissed the lawsuit.
- Damages claim
- 1 yen
- Reported 2025 losses
- 128.8 billion yen from social media-type investment fraud, according to the National Police Agency
- Platforms named
- Instagram and Facebook
- Lawsuit filed
- May 2024
- Ruling
- Tokyo District Court dismissed the suit on Nov. 10, 2026
3 sources
What people are saying
the fundamental solution to the problem is to prevent celebrities from being used without their consent in scam advertisements.